, 1887-11-03


smoking at your ngcl Where do you ex-
pcct to go toF and proceeded TO take my
pipe away from me; while tho other pas
sengcrs said, "Well he Is too young TO bs
smoking, for sure" and that lout Of d son
Of mine went black In tho face with
laughter aud declined TO como to the
rescue.
Marlborough was reached at last, and
we walked up IN the headmaster's house.
win some difficulty and two half crowns
induced the incredulous butler to usher Us
In, and having get rid of his first notion
that 1t was, as he said, 70 OAK, found
I had cast out the Hrst devil only to have
moro wicked one take his place; for
now he winked tocosely nnd bade NJ
actually poked me In the ribs before 60
ing round the screen and ushering us into
the Doctors presence. wns Wild VITA
wrath at tho indignity. Doctor" said
I, fercely and shrilly, II must protest,
insist, sir" He glared At mo haughtiiy,
and then, turning 70 my iout, said, ais
this some farceP II. sir, ~ l suppose,
yon are bringing Jour little brother 70 en-
ter him al the school, let me say that We
have tho means," and he swished hh
hand through the air, "of correcting that
unbridled and insubordinate demeanor
which the loss, no doubt, Of father, anA
the absence of parental control, has In
duced IN him. I see," said he. as shs
gaby TUNED crimson and shufIled from
one foot to the other, ''your brothers
pertness not unnnturally discomposes you;
believe me, attach no blame to you, and
think, " he added significantly, 1--WE caa
soon remedy it."
My cup brimmed over. What exactly
Isaid will not repeat. Let me not for
| get that am clergyman, and that IL IL
my duty alike to forgive my enemies and
to eschew bad languages; but for the
| nonce my language was very bad indeed,
and very wrathful; and the matter was
made all the worse by the fact that
the doctor was but young man. "Sir,"
l cried, ~ took an honorable degree at
Oxford when you were still being birched
ut school, and was priest In holy orders
before ever you were In coat tails How
dare you gibe at my personal appearance,
sir' How dare you make mock OF my
| inflrmity' You seem so inhuman, and "a
| tndecently fond Of the most degrading
| part OF your duties, that I would GLADLY
leave this grinning oaf with you, and then
| he would get the thrashing he deserves
for exulting in his fathers discontinue.
But then l should have to speak with
you, sir; to speak with you'll and I win
not lower myself by having anything to
do with you; evil communications corrupt
| good manners, sir, and will not stOop to
imperil my own good breeding by com.
municating with n pedagogue, who, in
stead OF scholar and a gentleman, ap
| pears to be u coxcomb and boor;" and
with this TRADE flung out OF the room In
a rage, and my son skunk out at my heels
| was speechless with fury till we got
some distance from the house. Then
looking up, I saw that my wretched boy
was staggering still, and in my mortiflca
tion struck him with my cane There
were several Of the lads about, and he, poor
| fellow, was high and mighty In his new
tail coat, and he felt the indignity Hs
lost his temper, as had lost mine, and
turning on me, he boxed my ears. This
was too much To what depth Of con
tempt must 1 have fallenl dropped on
| bench and burst into tears-the bitter.
| est tears, 1 think, that ever man she'd
| gave him money aud sent him home
alone, and then wandered away in indie
| scribable wretchedness. ! was blind to
all that passed; / neither saw nor cared
where went. / could not even pursue
one train Of thought however miserable.
Not that any oblivion came mercifully to
relieve me from my sufferings. l passed
| through moment after moment OF exQui-
site pain, but each seemed isolated, and to
be endured by itself separately, and with.
out any continuity with either the mo
ments that went before or those which
followed after. How the time went de
not know, but after what thought was
great while ! found myself sitting by y
dull dark stream, staring gloomily into IT,
| do not know what was pnssiug through
my mind; perhaps 40 settled thought bad
formed itself; but / was in a very abyss a
despair. Suddenly ! felt little hand
thrust into mine, and child kissed me
! looked up and saw village girl OF or
years old, very plain but for pair Il
wistful eyes, who gazed pitifully at me
And said, POO boy.' From her lips did
| not vince nj the reproaeh Of youth. Slowly
Icame out Of the dark mood in which was
| ready tor I know not what rash act; and
| In talking to the little girl, and feeling
her hand confidingly in mine, ] gradually
| found compUsure and resignation She
| was very shy, and even stupid, and. when
| got her TO speak, her voice was course,
and she talked in n Wllalnously provincial
accent; but still, by her mute kindliness
| and fellow feeling, she had saved me from
what dared not contemplate, and owed
| her q debt Of gratitude which could not
| pay.
Alas! these 'nllder moments 'gGre not
for long. At last | reached lrre, and
! found the boy, who had preceded me, mad
told his story from his own point of view,
and my wife, perhaps rightly, took his
! part. ~ suppose sl.e said with stately
| censure, 'l suppose it is useless 20 Aope
luuo YOU are u>Haiht'l vi SoufN''l, pts'
| am ashamed of you. No wonder you look
such q baby when you give way TO such
| childish tempers. At your age 10 mind
what You look like! You don't act like Il
4 man and yOu don't deserve 10 be trcatei
like one. And to strike the poor hoy be-
fore the whole school oh, IL was too
bad!'
I dare say il WAS; but it was not dis
Greet IN tell me 80, and she does not know
what I feel. Her chidinG has broughs
back all my old bitterness and gloom,
and I think II ] were now On that river
bank again, not even the little girl woult
save me But men are weak, and for tile
present, for want Of convenient way
over to the other side, IGuit stay on this
and abide my life as best can. When
am gone, II 20, this narrative may pe-
haps lead "a few to think not tbe harshiy
of Jerome Yeo i'm Belcravia